Latest Astor Battle Restages 1959 Clan Fight

New Yorkers can be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu when it comes to the latest scandal involving the storied Astor fortune, the New York Times says. Tomorrow begins the criminal trial of Anthony Marshall, the son of deceased matriarch Brooke Astor whom prosecutors allege exploited her mental condition to bilk millions—claims that Astor herself weathered in 1959.

She received the bulk of a $127 million estate when her husband Vincent died, but her brother-in-law said Vincent was senile when he signed his will. Astor settled the case—and learned from it, cutting off anyone who unsuccessfully challenged her will. “It seems amazing that, half a century later, there would still be fighting over this,” said one author.